Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noe [were],

Spoken to: 

Apostles

A long section about "the end of the world" or, more precisely, "the culmination of an era." Two verses ago the context is the sky and earth passing away. This verse returns to the topic of the presence of the son of man.

KJV: 

Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.​

NIV : 

Matthew 24:37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

LISTENERS HEARD: 

Because as the days of that Noah [were]. In this way, it will be the presence of the son of the man.

MY TAKE: 

People throughout the ages have failed to recognize the importance of Christ's presence.

GREEK (Each Word Explained Bottom of Page): 

LOST IN TRANSLATION: 

This verse is a return to the topic of the "presence" of the son of the man away from the topic of the passing of the earth and sky, which Jesus has said he hasn't seen.

The situation, the Noah-line response of people, he is talking about is clearly the future but English translations have to insert words "also" and "at" to make the presence of Jesus seem like a new event, a coming, instead of the future of his current life. His fate demands, at some point, among some people, a general unawareness of his importance, not seeing how his death leads to the fall of the Temple.

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

4
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "Noah" is not shown in the English translation.
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "also" doesn't exist in the source.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "coming" should be something more like "presence."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "man" is not shown in the English translation.

# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

6
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "it" doesn't exist in the source.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "however" is not shown in the English translation.
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "in" doesn't exist in the source.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "Noah" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "coming" should be something more like "presence."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "man" is not shown in the English translation.

EACH WORD of KJV : 

But  - The word translated as "but" introduces a reason or explanation. It is not the Greek word normally translated as the conjunction "but."

as  - The Greek word translated as "as" indicates a match with a person or thing.

the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more. 

days  - The Greek word translated as "days" also means "time," in general, and refers specifically to the "daytime." This is the subject of the verb.

of -- This word "of"  comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English.  The most common is the "of" of possession.

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. 

Noe "Noah" is the Hebrew name. 

were, -- There is nothing that can be translated as "it" in the Greek source, but the "days" was in the form of a subject without a verb so the verb "to be" is implied.

so -- "So" is from a Greek adverb that means "in this way," "therefore," "so much," "to such an extent," and "that is why."

shall -- This helping verb "shall" indicates that the verb is the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

also -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "also" in the Greek source.

the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more. 

coming  - (WW) The word translated as "coming" means "presence," "arrival," "occasion," "situation," "substance," "property," and "contribution." It is an uncommon word, only used by Jesus in this section of Matthew. It was first used in the apostle's question about the "coming" of the end of the world that we discuss in Matthew 24:4. Since it is not related to the word usually translated as "come" in the NT, "arrival" might be a better word though the sense is more about the nature of being present.

of -- This word "of"  comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English.  The most common is the "of" of possession.

the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more. 

the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. 

Son -- The word translated as "son" more generally means "child" or "descendant." The phrase "the son of man" is the common way Christ refers to himself. It is discussed in detail in this article. Its sense may be "the child of the man."

of -- This word "of"  comes from the genitive case of the following word that required the addition of a preposition in English.  The most common is the "of" of possession, but it can also mean "belonging to," "part of," "which is," "than" (in comparisons), or  "for," "concerning" or "about" with transitive verbs. 

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. 

man - The Greek word for "man" means "man," "person" and "humanity" in the singular. In the plural, it means "men," "people," and "peoples." 

be. ​-- The verb "be" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition.

EACH WORD of NIV : 

As - The Greek word translated as "as" indicates a match with a person or thing.

it -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "it" in the Greek source. "The days" is the subject of this clause.

was , -- There is nothing that can be translated as "was" in the Greek source, but the "days" was in the form of a subject without a verb so the "to be" is implied.

missing "however"  -- (MW) The untranslated word "but" introduces a reason or explanation. It is not the Greek word normally translated as the conjunction "but."

in -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "in" in the Greek source.

the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more. 

days  - The Greek word translated as "days" also means "time," in general, and refers specifically to the "daytime." This is the subject of the verb.

of -- This word "of"  comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English.  The most common is the "of" of possession.

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. 

Noe "Noah" is the Hebrew name.

so -- "So" is from a Greek adverb that means "in this way," "therefore," "so much," "to such an extent," and "that is why."

it -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb.

will -- This helping verb "will" indicates that the verb is the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

be. ​-- The verb "be" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition.

at -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "at" in the Greek source.

the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more. 

coming  - (WW) The word translated as "coming" means "presence," "arrival," "occasion," "situation," "substance," "property," and "contribution." It is an uncommon word, only used by Jesus in this section of Matthew. It was first used in the apostle's question about the "coming" of the end of the world that we discuss in Matthew 24:4. Since it is not related to the word usually translated as "come" in the NT, "arrival" might be a better word though the sense is more about the nature of being present.

of -- This word "of"  comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English.  The most common is the "of" of possession.

the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more. 

the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. 

Son -- The word translated as "son" more generally means "child" or "descendant." The phrase "the son of man" is the common way Christ refers to himself. It is discussed in detail in this article. Its sense may be "the child of the man."

of -- This word "of"  comes from the genitive case of the following word that required the addition of a preposition in English.  The most common is the "of" of possession, but it can also mean "belonging to," "part of," "which is," "than" (in comparisons), or  "for," "concerning" or "about" with transitive verbs. 

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. 

Man- The Greek word for "man" means "man," "person" and "humanity" in the singular. In the plural, it means "men," "people," and "peoples."

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV : 

ὥσπερ [13 verses](adv/prep) "As" is from hosper, which means "the very man who," "the very thing, which," "the same as," "wherefore," and "although."

γὰρ [205 verses](partic) "But" comes gar which is the introduction of a clause explaining a reason or explanation: "for," "since," and "as." In an abrupt question, it means "why" and "what."

αἱ [821 verses](article pl fem nom)  "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

ἡμέραι [96 verses](noun pl fem nom) "The days" is hemera, which, as a noun, means "day" "a state or time of life," "a time (poetic)," "day break" and "day time." It is also and also has a second meaning, of "quiet," "tame (animals)," "cultivated (crops)," and "civilized (people)."

τοῦ [821 verses](article sg masc gen) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."

Νῶε, [4 verses](Hebrew name) "Of Noah" is from Noe, which is the Greek form of the name of Noah.

οὕτως [137 verses](adv) "So" is houtos, which as an adjective means "this," "that," "the nearer." As an adverb, it means "in this way," "therefore," "so much," "to such an extent," and "that is why."

ἔσται [614 verses](verb 3rd sg fut ind mid) "Shall...be" is eimi, which means "to be," "to exist," "to be the case," and "is possible." (The future form is esomai. The 3rd person present indicative is "esti.")

[821 verses](article pl fem nom)  "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

παρουσία [3 verses] (noun sg fem nom) "Coming" is parousia, which means "presence," "arrival," "occasion," "situation," "substance," "property," and "contribution."

τοῦ [821 verses](article sg masc gen)  "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

υἱοῦ (noun sg masc gen) "The Son" is from huios, which means a "son," and more generally, a "child." It is used generally to refer to any male descendant.

τοῦ [821 verses](article sg masc gen) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."

ἀνθρώπου: (noun sg masc gen) "Of man" is from anthropos, which is "man," and, in plural, "mankind." It also means "humanity" and that which is human and opposed to that which is animal or inanimate.

Related Verses: 

Unimportant Opinions and Imaginings: 

"this is because," he explain. "Just as in the times of Noah, the arrival of the child of mankind is going to be."

Front Page Date: 

Oct 4 2021